The Calvert Marine Museum (CMM) welcomes a new species to its Estuarine Biology Department! Poppie, the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), came from a wildlife rehabilitation facility after being separated from her mother and siblings as a tiny juvenile. When she arrived at the museum at approximately three months old, she was only half a pound and is now a healthy 6.28 lbs.
Poppie will live behind the scenes at the museum but will making appearances during educational programs throughout the year. On Friday, January 27, we invite the public to a ‘creature feature’ starring Poppie at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
This 15-minute demonstration will be held in the Harms Gallery and is included with museum admission. Guests will have the opportunity to observe Poppie while learning fun facts about her habitat, diet, and adaptations. There will also be an opportunity for questions.
You may be wondering, “Why does the Estuarine Biology Department have an opossum… when they aren’t aquatic?” While that is true, opossums aren’t aquatic, they are still important animals around the bay’s estuarine environment. In CMM’s basin, you can see animal tracks when the tide is low. Many animals like opossums, herons, and raccoons, come through searching for animals or carrion left behind when the tide goes out.